November 6, 2010

"I did not want to run as a black candidate; I did not want to run as a military candidate..."

"... I wanted to run as an American candidate and win the respect of the people."

Allen West, one of the 2 new members of Congress who are black and Republican... and Tea Party. The other is Tim Scott. They're from South Florida and South Carolina, respectively.

ADDED: Will they join the Congressional Black Congress?

63 comments:

Sprezzatura said...

Are we sure that he doesn't want to run as a military candidate.

What's that on his lapel?

traditionalguy said...

IMO the true color blind acceptance comes from the Tea party Spirit that values free men of all backgrounds that are willing to come up on this hill and fight. That is rare in America, although some Pentacostal Churches can do it.Seeing men and women as basically good and fighting for a common goal does away with the need to color code them or to gender code them either. Don't tell the NYT.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)

So PB&J:
Well at least the Outlaws aren't domestic terrorists, celebrating the death of the Tates, or was it the LabBianca's?

So, NOW one's associations matter? I just wondered, Bill Clinton and Fulbright (racist oppononent of Civil RIghts, OK) AlGore (Dad opposed Civil Rights Act, OK), Barak Obama (Ayers, Dohrn, Wright, OK)...Republicans' anything counts against you, right?

Chris Matthews is that you?

Sprezzatura said...

tg,

I hope that folks who like this TP spirit (e.g. charging at the opposition w/ bayonet configured muskets, as expressed by West in my link) weren't also crying like babies because BHO called the opposition the enemy.

I don't have a problem w/ either situation. Both situations involved militaristic language in a clearly non-military/political context.

But, I do think that it was bad when Angle was talking about folks using "second amendment remedies" if they didn't get their way.



Joe,

I don't have a problem w/ his (very limited) Outlaw links. I'm sure he was just looking for votes from these racist, criminal bottom feeders. If he can get these dopes to vote for a black man, good for him. Likewise, I don't care if BHO was able to milk idiots to advance himself.

And, my question about the lapel was not rhetorical. I don't know what those pins stand for. Military?

Anonymous said...

He should have ran as a teleprompter candidate. Like this guy:

Obama will make history for more than one reason during the Nov 6-9 visit. This will be the first time a teleprompter will be used in the nearly 100-feet high dome-shaped hall that has portraits of eminent national leaders adorning its walls.

Indian politicians are known for making impromptu long speeches and perhaps that is why some parliament officials, who did not wish to be named, sounded rather surprised with the idea of a teleprompter for Obama.


But Obama is so smart.

Just ask Valerie Jarett...

traditionalguy said...

1jpb...You are correct. Speaking of armed revolution is off limits. The weapons we use in politics must be limited to raising money for TV ads, speaking out in public, holding meet and greets for the local Representative, and getting out the vote. What makes a military metaphor come to mind is the usual incoming hidden artillery barrages of off the wall slander, dissent among friends, and even business boycotts. ( E,g.,If you have never spoken up in public in support of Israel, try doing that and see what comes back in from unexpected places).

Birkel said...

1jpb,

You certainly seem fixated on Allen West's skin color. (e.g. "If he can get these dopes to vote for a black man, good for him.")

What difference does his color make? Why do you think bikers would care about his color?

Are you mad because Allen West won't stay on the Democrat reservation?

Sprezzatura said...

Could we have Althouse include the teleprompter stuff in all of her posts. Perhaps she could tack it on at the end of all the posts. It seems many here want to see it in all the comments.

The cons are so giddy about that. This is earth shattering!!1!!!1 It's so exciting!!1! They just saw Justin Bieber in person....er....wait a minute....maybe it's not so cool that y'all seem like school girls.

Lame is as lame does.



Birkel,

The Outlaws are known to be racists (like the Hell's Angels, which btw, my cousin would have joined if they weren't racist, but he does still party w/ them in Oakland).

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)

Well PB&J, I'd say that they are Airborne Wings/Air Assault "Wings" possibly a Ranger "Tab."

My eyes are bad, and the video isn't all that great...

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)

PB&J, Colonel West is "all eat up about" Falling out of Airplanes...looks like all he's got on his lapel is Airborne, and Air Assault Wings

Unknown said...

Colonel West has no connection, apparently, except the one NBC News wants to trump up to try to discredit him. Don't fall into PB&J/Alex's trick of trying to hijack a thread about a good and dedicated man and soldier.

Sprezzatura said...

Speaking of Colonel West.


Maybe I got my Wests a little mixed up.

traditionalguy said...

Joe...Don't discount The Airborne guys. Those guys give the USMC a run its reputation as the best. When you meet either ones, there is a clear and present confidence and strength within them that comes out, and which the Army knows nothing about. They are the ones that Trooper says hold their disciplined emotions back until it is time to do what they train intensely for every day of the week. Their job is to be ready to take off and drop in behind enemy lines within 48 hours of getting orders.

Peter V. Bella said...

What did Obama run as again?

Fred4Pres said...

He ran as a damn fine candidate too. Which is why he won.

I think we will see very good things from Allen West. We are lucky he is willing to do this job.

garage mahal said...

Does his wife have a fat ass?

Birkel said...

1jpb,

What you wrote concerned Allen West's color. After challenged you alleged racism on the part of the bikers. Those things do not square. But even if we pretend they coincide what, pray tell, is your point?

Would you condemn others who tried to get bad people to do the right thing? I heard of this guy once who made a habit of trying that.

David said...

Here in retrograde, racist, fundamentalist South Carolina, Tim Scott defeated Paul ("Son of Throm") Thurmond. We sure are backward.

Kirby Olson said...

Tim Scott said on Fox that there were umpteen millions of black people, but that the individual was the suppressed minority in America. I dug that.

Sprezzatura said...

Birkel,

My comment that you were first referring to clearly stated that the Outlaws were racist. I didn't add that later. You have terrible reading comprehension.

My point is clearly stated in the comment that you were originally responding to. Go back and read it again.

Luther said...

I swear all the lefties here get paid for what they spout. What man with a spic of spine would otherwise subject himself to such conclusive and soul aching truth that their viewpoint is so utterly full of shit.

Joking about the pay, I guess. Unless it is masturbatory fantasies about how STRONG they are.

traditionalguy said...

Lighten up on West. He was born in Atlanta. That makes him a brother. In 1865 et seq. the Republicans began recruiting many Atlantans, who still remembered who had actually freed the slaves...Tecumseh Sherman and his well armed Republican friends from Indiana,Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota. That was the first "mid-western strategy" in politics here.

Chennaul said...

1jpb

Looks like the air assault and parachutist badges-can't make out the other one.

Sprezzatura said...

"who still remembered who had actually freed the slaves...Tecumseh Sherman and his well armed Republican friends from Indiana,Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota."

You want to elicit a very strong look of disapproval?

Go to office hours for one of your African American History professors and start asking why more black folks aren't Rs based on the historic and current (approx 1996, when I was a hard core R) pro-black advantages of the R philosophy. I will never forget that look.

BTW, if it wasn't for the foreign language requirement (which was waived for engineering majors, so I never did it) and two additional classes, I would have had a second degree, in African American History.

JAL said...

@1jpb I'm sure he was just looking for votes from these racist, criminal bottom feeders. If he can get these dopes to vote for a black man, good for him.

Yeah.
Bottom feeders.
Criminals.

SEIU
ACORN
....
...
..
.

Voting for a "black man."

(And it sure seem like the racist shoe is fitting the leftist foot here.)

garage mahal said...

SEIU and ACORN have been indicted for attempted murder, kidnapping, assault, robbery, extortion, witness intimidation, narcotics distribution, illegal gambling, and weapons violations?

Birkel said...

1jpb,

You seem more concerned with the race of the candidate than the people you accuse of racism. Why is that, exactly?

If Allen West believed he could get their votes, and knew them personally so that he was in a better position to judge their character than you or I, what evidence do you have of their racism except bald supposition?

And since you have no such evidence, why are you so concerned with Allen West's race?

Birkel said...

"SEIU and ACORN have been indicted for attempted murder, kidnapping, assault, robbery, extortion, witness intimidation, narcotics distribution, illegal gambling, and weapons violations?"

No. The Holder Justice Department won't investigate them.

And in all seriousness, are you saying union "associates" have not been indicted for all those things and more? Have you heard of the Teamsters' mob connections?

garage mahal said...

If you have something real that approaches the very real 12 count indictment on the Outlaws, have at it.

Cedarford said...

traditionalguy said...
Joe...Don't discount The Airborne guys. Those guys give the USMC a run its reputation as the best.

=================
Just for the small ground military stuff. If you want to beat the enemy, break things, and kill lots of them - the best are the USAF. Then the Navy.

bagoh20 said...

When it comes to felons, I'd bet that the Dems get the majority in that demographic. I would also imagine that the Outlaws, like most defendants are hoping for a judge that's a Democrat.

The Crack Emcee said...

A black man ran as an American? No hyphen or anything? Can that even be done?

Isn't it a PC rule that - along with forcing adults to use baby talk like "the n-word" - all American blacks are to be referred to as "African-American"? Isn't "American" - like determinations about what words can leave people's mouths - reserved for white people?

I think this guy's getting uppity myself.

MadisonMan said...

That's an easy enough thing to say after winning, I presume he was thinking the same thing before the election.

Is there any reason to trust what any politician says?

somefeller said...

Birkel asks:If Allen West believed he could get their votes, and knew them personally so that he was in a better position to judge their character than you or I, what evidence do you have of their racism except bald supposition?

Well, Allen West himself said that the Outlaws do "not accept blacks, Jews or gays", so he couldn't be a member of that organization. So it sure sounds like the Outlaws are a racist bunch, which is surprising because biker gangs are usually such upstanding citizens.

But, hey, if West could get those low-lifes to get past their prejudice to vote for him, I guess we are on the way to that post-racial America we've all been waiting for.

Synova said...

AFAIK, the airborn wings, jump wings, etc., are authorized to wear forever, whoever you are, if you win them. So appropriate for a civilian.

Unknown said...

Synova, you are correct. Like Rangers, SF, and SEAL Team, there is no such thing as an ex-paratrooper.

WV "unliz" What John Warner, Richard Burton, and Eddie Fisher eventually found necessary.

PS That third wing is the Colonel's Army pilot wings. My brother-in-law has them, too.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Garage:

It was only after the media tried to peddle the line that Michelle Obama was soooo beautiful that people got sick of the lie and pointed to her obvious ample asset.

Automatic_Wing said...

These Outlaws sound about as bad as Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dorhn. But I'm sure they're just guys in West's neighborhood, no need to be concerned.

William said...

Of the black Democratic congressmen, how many were elected in white districts?....The Democratic stance that Republican women are not truly women and certainly not feminists looks increasingly silly. And just recently a poll confirmed that many gays consider getting a job a bigger issue than getting married. Perhaps this will help to undermine the Democatic position that blacks like Clarence Thomas are not truly black. For some people the capital gains tax is a bigger issue than, say, increased welfare requirements. Why can't blacks be among those some people.

Calypso Facto said...

Not so sure those are Aviator wings, edutcher. Aviator wings slope up at the ends and the Aviator/Master Parachutist/Air Assault badge combo would be extremely rare. I'd venture badge #3 is a Parachute Rigger badge.

Interesting that he wears them on his suit. Mine are still stuck on my uniform up somewhere in the attic. Though, I'm not running for office...

Calypso Facto said...

Hmmm. Wiki only mentions the Parachutist and Air Assault. He was Field Art'y (Hooahhh), so no Aviator badge. Rigger badges are pretty uncommon among officers, but I'm sticking with the Rigger theory from his time at Ft. Bragg.

I see we were both in the Big Red One at the same time. Interesting! Bet we know some of the same people...

Synova said...

Oh, for goodness sake.

"The DCCC has cried foul because West has written a column for "Wheels On The Road," a South Florida biker magazine that includes demeaning photos of women. The magazine also appears to endorse the Outlaws; the publisher, "Miami Mike," wrote about going to an Outlaw party in the September issue this year."

To summarize... West wrote an article for a biker magazine and the biker magazine *appears* to endorse the Outlaws, most probably by not vigorously condemning them while reporting on them.

Also, the biker magazine includes pictures "demeaning" to women... ie., sexy pictures of women straddling motorcycles in suggestive poses.

OH. MY. GAWD.

The whole article linked to conflates the magazine and the biker gang as if the two are one and the same and apparently on the basis that the editor had contact with the gang, attended a function, because you know... JOURNALISTS NEVER TALK TO SHADY PEOPLE.

Penny said...

"What difference does his color make?"

You're kidding, right? This is politics, for cripes sake.

Skin color may not matter when we sit down for dinner, but it matters a whole heckuva lot when campaign managers are trying to move minorities to vote for their candidate.

The Democrats call the Tea Party people racists, Republicans call the Democrats new age slave owners, and 90% of black people STILL support Obama.

Yeah...right. Skin color doesn't matter.

Penny said...

And the follow-up question...

Should West and Scott join the Black Congressional Caucus?

Only if it makes sense to integrate the Black Congressional Caucus Democrats with the Black Congressional Caucus Republicans.

Don't disappoint, Messrs. West and Scott.

We know it isn't easy. ;)

Mick said...

Allen West===Real American hero.

Barack Obama===== Unconstitutional Usurper and America hater, installed by the World banker debt masters to destroy the sovereignty of We the people.

Anyone who supports Obama===== Aiders and abetters of the destruction of America, or the willfully blind.

I guess the Tea Party's unwavering support of Allen West blows that "racist" thing out of the water doesn't it?

Birkel said...

Penny,

I'll mark you down as "concerned about race".

As for me, I don't really shive a get. The policies matter. Skin color not so much.

AllenS said...

ALL THE WAY!!

Unknown said...

Calypso Facto said...

Not so sure those are Aviator wings, edutcher. Aviator wings slope up at the ends and the Aviator/Master Parachutist/Air Assault badge combo would be extremely rare. I'd venture badge #3 is a Parachute Rigger badge.

I thought rigger wings were silver.

I've seen that type of wing before and thought it was an Army aviation wing (BTW, I don't think officer branch has anything to do with going to flight school. He may have qualified to fly some sort of fixed wing (spotter/FO) aircraft. You've been in and I haven't, so I'll defer to you).

Could it be the Navy jump wing?

Anonymous said...

KUDOS to Col. West for taking this brave stand! I voted for him because he was a man of honor who KNOWS HIS PLACE! It's about time we had someone like him in the CBC, unlike the many others who have a tendency to get "uppity" or "liberal." So long as Col. West does as his constituents direct him, he is welcome in my house any time. Semper Fi!

AllenS said...

On his left chest, the top badge is called a Airborne Senior, which means he has 30 or more jumps. Below that is the Air Assault badge. The badge on his right side is a complete mystery to me. Something new, that's for sure.

DaveW said...

Anyone know how many blacks ran for democratic nominations and how many were ultimately elected?

This year 32 black republicans ran for nomination and of those 14 were nominated (44%). Only 2 ended up getting elected.

Well, those are the numbers I came up with anyway. That clearly indicates that being black isn't a negative in running for a republican nomination. I'm curious what the numbers are for democrats.

The Crack Emcee said...

Penny,

Republicans call the Democrats new age slave owners,...

No - that's just me - the others haven't really caught up, yet, but they're tending to agree more with each passing day.

And also no, skin color doesn't matter. But I get your point.

The Drill SGT said...

WRT the wings?

I think they are foreign jump wings.

he is not a aviator.

see photo, maybe AllenS will recognize:

me, I'm a leg, though I did fight in the 101st :)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Allen_West_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg

as for wearing them, absolutely. When I wear a suit on the job, I always have my BSM lapel pin on. I'm getting of an age that young majors want to lecture me on being a warfighter, and the BSM pin is better than a flag lapel pin in convincing them that I already "been there, done that, got the T shirt"

AllenS said...

Drill,

Qualification for awards change. Badges are added to, and modified to such an extent that they are unrecognizable to older vets. We only had the Airborne wings that you received in jump school after you completed five jumps. Then the next Airborne award was for Master Parachutist (master blaster) which required 50 jumps. This morning, checking things out, the qualifications seemed to have changed. Senior parachutist wasn't there when I was in. At least according to my recollection.

Calypso Facto said...

I didn't watch far enough to see the second segment and the gold color of the badge. I think you've got it this time edutcher: Naval Parachutist

AllenS said...

Naval Parachutist badge it is. WTF? Naval parachutist? Submarine cavalry?

Jason said...

They might be USMC jump wings. I've also seen Jordanian jump wings and the German parachutist badge.

Funny he says he doesn't want to be the Army candidate but all his campaign marketing material is a riff on the Army logo and Army marketing material. Nonvets wouldn't see it. Call it a dogwhistle for dog-faces.


There was a huge blowup in the Veterans for Foreign Wars a couple of weeks ago. The VFW PAC committee endorsed West's opponent, Ron Klein, over West, even though West is a member. They also endorsed Pelosi, and made some other stupid endorsements. The membership revolted, and the Commander of the VFW used his power in the bylaws to summarily dissolve the whole PAC. Essentially, the VFW said 'ok, if you are going to be THAT dumb, we're not going to HAVE a PAC, or we're going to start a new one.

Anonymous said...

The DCCC has cried foul because West has written a column for "Wheels On The Road," a South Florida biker magazine that includes demeaning photos of women.

Where was the DCCC when Ted Kennedy drove off that bridge?

Where was the DCCC when President Clinton groped Kathleen Willey?

Where was the DCCC when President Clinton pardoned Mel (slept with a 14 year old girl) Reynolds?

Oh, utterly silent.

Nevermind.

Anonymous said...


Lame is as lame does.


Yes, your response is certainly lame.

Hey, if your "sort of a God" president is so smart, and the greatest orator since Daniel Webster, why can't he give a 20 minute speech without a teleprompter?

Don't worry, you don't really want to answer, the answer shatters your silly little liberal bubble...

David said...

The Crack Emcee said...
Penny,

"Republicans call the Democrats new age slave owners,..."

No - that's just me - the others haven't really caught up, yet, but they're tending to agree more with each passing day.


The Planter class was quite convinced that it was running a benign paternal system, beneficial to the slaves, who just could not fend for themselves. The slaves often appeared share this attitude. After the revolution (which we call the Civil War), the former slaveowners were shocked and amazed that their former properties were not particularly interested in going back to the same arrangement under a new guise. Necessity and violence (the KKK) forced a new subservience on many of the former slaves, but now the Southrons saw just how unwilling the servitude had been.

One of the amazing things was the magnanimity of the former slaves, even while federal troops were still around to keep the Klan somewhat suppressed. Acts of retribution against the white former masters were exceedingly rare. There were many cases of notable generosity to the former owners shortly after the war, when everyone's need was great.

The modern parallel can be forced too far, but the Democrat liberals are greatly overestimating the gratitude and loyalty of the mass of black voters. Barack Obama and Jim Clyburn notwithstanding, most black Democrats are still consigned to the Quarters, politically speaking.

Richard Fagin said...

I thought the CBC wouldn't let J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) join because he was Republican. Besides, would YOU want to caucus with Sheila Jackson Lee? I think she embarasses Al Sharpton.

TMink said...

Representative West says he will join the black caucus because he meets the criteria for membership. He went on to say that black people deserved a different perspective and approach to the liberal one which has kept them poor for 50 years.

Trey

Unknown said...

Thanks for share.

Best Regarding.
Home Remedies